Biarritz, Coastal resort town in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Biarritz is a town on the Bay of Biscay in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The settlement runs for several kilometers along the Atlantic coast and includes sandy coves, dark rock cliffs, and a mix of historic and modern buildings stretching from the harbor to the northern shoreline.
The place was a small fishing village until the mid-19th century, when Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie built a summer residence here and attracted European nobility. After World War II, the town became one of the first surf destinations in Europe after visitors from the United States introduced the activity.
The name comes from a Basque term meaning two rocks or two hills, referring to the original geography of the settlement. Along the coastal promenade, casino buildings and Belle Époque facades stand next to shops selling regional items such as Basque berets and espadrilles in the streets of the center.
The beaches are spaced at short intervals and can be reached by stairs or ramps from the upper streets. In summer the water is warmer and the coastal sections are fuller, while cooler months bring fewer visitors and conditions suited to more experienced swimmers and surfers.
A narrow metal footbridge connects the mainland to a rock in the sea, on which a statue of Mary stands, placed by workers in 1865. The metal structure was designed by an associate of Gustave Eiffel and replaced an earlier wooden bridge destroyed during a storm.
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